


never knew you like this (outside of my dreams)

by everwitch



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Derek "Nursey" Nurse is Unchill, Developing Relationship, M/M, Sharing a Bed, and so is Dex, many feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:49:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22735120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everwitch/pseuds/everwitch
Summary: Dex hasn’t been thinking about it. Really, he hasn’t.Just like he’s not thinking about the fact that Derek Nurse just asked him to stay the night, even though it’s seven pm on a Tuesday and they haven’t even hit dining hall yet.Fuck.
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Comments: 10
Kudos: 219





	never knew you like this (outside of my dreams)

“Stay here tonight.”

Dex pauses.

It’s not like this would be the first time.

Actually, if Dex thinks about it, this would sort of be far from the first time. Really, really far. So far that Dex may or may not have lost count around the eleventh (or thirteenth?) time he’d stayed over in Nursey’s dorm. Which is why it’s a very good thing that _thinking about it_ is exactly the sort of thing that Dex has made a habit of _not_ doing. For both his and Nursey’s sake.

Just because it seems that Nursey has lost his mind, all of a sudden, it doesn’t mean that Dex should, too.

Because if Dex  _ really  _ thinks about it (which he doesn’t, he definitely doesn’t), tonight has actually been different from all those other times.

Distinctly different.

It’s not even that late, yet. Usually, the mornings when Dex finds himself waking up in Nursey’s bed happen after an exceedingly late night at the end of which Dex can't bear the idea of trekking all the way across campus to his own dorm. It’s usually something that occurs towards the end of a particularly gruelling kegster, except that more and more often it’s become their routine after staying up stupidly late trying to finish whatever impossible assignments they’d failed to complete that week.

Because that’s just one of the things Nursey and Dex do together, now – they study together. They go to Annie’s together. They walk to class together, any time their schedules overlap.

Because it’s not like they actually have a single fucking class together, this semester.

Dex hasn’t been thinking about it. Really, he hasn’t.

Just like he’s not thinking about the fact that Derek Nurse just asked him to stay the night, even though it’s seven pm on a Tuesday and they haven’t even hit dining hall yet.

Fuck.

“Dex?”

Abruptly, Dex turns towards Nursey.

Nursey is almost smiling.

“You don’t have to. ‘S chill.”

Dex knows that tone. And more importantly, he knows that smile _.  _ It's not the stupidly goofy smile that makes Nursey's eyes light up, nor is it the softer, warm smile that appears sometimes when Nursey thinks Dex isn't looking. Nursey's  _ almost _ smile probably looks reasonably happy to the untrained eye, but to Dex it merely looks like a shell. Like hard armour.

“Nah, it’s fine.” Dex clears his throat, tries to make himself sound normal, whatever the fuck that even means anymore. “Your bed’s more comfy.”

It’s such a shitty lie and Nursey has to see right through it, he  _ has  _ to. How many times hasn't Dex grumbled about his aching back after crawling out of Nursey's bed in the morning?

Nursey merely frowns.

"It's alright, Poindexter. Don't stick around if you don't want to."

Immediately, Dex shakes his head.

"No. That's… That's not it."

"Right." Nursey is nodding, even though the tone of his voice is the very definition of uncertain. "It's cool, okay? We’re cool. Let's go get dinner."

"No, I-"

"It's chill. Really."

Nursey is shrugging on his jacket, digging through his pockets for his keys. He's not looking at Dex.

Fucking _ fuck. _

"I like getting dinner with you."

Nursey pauses.

“Despite the fact that your table manners are practically extinct,” Dex adds, then mentally kicks himself. “Although, I guess I’ve seen worse? I mean, I’ve met Shitty. And you’ve kind of got nothing on his level of slobbiness.”

“Slobbiness,” Nursey repeats.

Unfortunately, he looks completely bewildered.

Dex grits his teeth.

“I like studying with you,” he continues, despite the fact that this conversation has clearly derailed beyond all hope, already. “You get this really stupid look on your face when you’re stuck in the middle of a sentence, did you know that? It’s this combination of focused and frustrated and every time you get to that point I just know that I can’t bother you until you’ve figured it out. I can bring you coffee, or maybe a peanut butter sandwich, but any attempt at actual conversation will definitely backfire. And I… I guess I like that? I like knowing those things, about you.”

Dex pauses, and this time Nursey doesn’t say anything. There’s something unusual about his expression, something which Dex can’t quite describe – it’s somewhere right in between contemplative, and doubtful.

Nursey would know the right word.

“I also like that we actually hang out, now,” Dex adds, because at this point he might as well get it all out there. “I like that we have a good thing going off the ice, too. I like that we talk, like  _ actually _ talk. And not just about hockey.”

“It’s usually about hockey, though,” Nursey interjects, and while Dex still can’t read his expression, the curious look in Nursey’s eyes is at least not unwelcome.

“It doesn’t always have to be.” Dex’s tone is quiet. “It could be… It could be about other things, too.”

“Oh,” Nursey says, speaking softly. It sounds like a revelation.  _ “Oh.” _

Dex clenches and then unclenches his fists. He tries to take a deep breath, except it doesn’t make him relax – it just feels forced. Suddenly, he becomes urgently aware of the fact that he’s wearing one of his oldest t-shirt, the grey one with a faded, barely-there print and at least three little holes scattered throughout. It’s comfortable and still perfectly functional, but it’s also pretty much the exact opposite of how he’d have liked to present himself, in this moment.

Not that Dex has been waiting for this. After all, he hasn’t been thinking about Nursey, like this. He _ hasn’t. _

(At least not all the time.)

Somehow, he manages to hold Nursey’s gaze, even as the silence stretches on.

Until it doesn’t.

“Stay here, tonight.”

Dex blinks – it’s the exact same request as the one Nursey made earlier, but this time it sounds completely different.

“Yeah?” Dex asks, his voice coming out strangely hoarse. “You sure you want me to?”

“Yeah,” Nursey agrees immediately. He’s taken one step closer towards Dex, and the smile that’s spreading across his face is so fucking radiant. “I’m completely sure.”

“Okay.” Dex still isn’t sure what to do with his hands, especially now that Nursey is closer. “Okay. Good.”

Slowly, Nursey reaches out, taking Dex’s right hand in his and deliberately lacing their fingers together.

“So,” he says, his voice a little more collected than before. “Dinner?”

Dex looks down at their joined hands. Tentatively, he swings them back and forth, just a little. It’s nice.

Maybe even nicer than Dex has imagined it would be.

“Yeah,” Dex agrees belatedly, looking back up to face Nursey and trying his best to turn his expression into something less besotted and more dignified. “Dinner sounds good.”

The warm smile Nursey offers Dex makes Dex realize that Nursey definitely didn’t miss his brief moment of complete ridiculousness.

Still, Dex thinks as the two of them set off towards dining hall with their hands still intertwined, if this thing between them means that Nursey might keep smiling towards Dex like  _ that, _ at least it’ll all have been worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hello on [tumblr](https://everwitch-magiks.tumblr.com/), my askbox is ready for any nurseydex ramblings you may have


End file.
